Random Happenstance

I have spent the better part of my quarantine watching nothing but Tokushoutsu on Pluto TV; partly because it's free and I'm cheap. Previously I had this bright idea of not paying for multiple streaming services at the same time, and compromised by paying for nothing! I've quite enjoyed Kamen Rider, to the point that I have no idea how little kids in Japan in the seventies when it was on could survive: it was on what, a half hour a week? I watched like four hours of it the other day! They were running Chōjin Sentai Jetman for a bit but seemed to rotate it out; but duhr, I had the DVD's for that. Ultraman Leo I had seen before, and it's kind of brutal? The hero's mentor "trains" him in the most abusive ways possible; and a lot of supporting characters get killed. Kind of dispiriting, but a good excuse for today's comics: from 1993, Ultraman #1-3, written by Dwayne McDuffie, pencils by Ernie Colon, inks by Alfredo Alcala, covers by Ken Steacy.

I knew of Ultraman when this came out--and I'm pretty sure I bought it in 1993, sold it, picked it up again over the years. Y'know, I may not even have sold it, I may have just bought it again the last time I saw it cheap. This was a domestic adaptation of the Japanese superhero, from Harvey Comics, better known for Casper and Richie Rich, neither of whom were selling at all in the direct market era. After this limited, a few more issues would come out under their Nemesis imprint, but it was a last gasp. Still, this mini-series seems like a game try, as McDuffie gives it all he can. Kind of wish Steacy had done the interiors, though; his style was perfect for that!

Hmm, I'm pretty sure Marvel has an Ultraman book coming whenever things get rolling again. Hopefully he's a little luckier this time!

The first issue recaps Ultraman's origin: tailing the murderous shapechanger Gudis, Ultraman disables his ship to prevent him from escaping, and they crash-land on Mars. Two astronauts witness their battle: one is killed attempting to escape, the other is caught in a rockslide but still tries to get Gudis off of Ultraman with his ray gun. Gudis escapes, and to save the dying Jack Shindo, Ultraman joins their life forces: kind of like Rick Jones and Captain Marvel, if Marv had been 300 feet tall. After all their TV adventures, Jack and Ultraman had been separated; but since this is comics of course they're back together early in the second issue. The Gudis, having also returned, blows open Ultraman's monster prison on the moon: I don't know enough to say if any of the monsters released are based on old ones from the show, but one can hope.

This is an okay little read if you find it cheap; although I don't know if it did anything for the Ultraman fans or created any new ones. Looking around for a moment online, the last five issues (numbered negative one through four, because comics) might have been a bit of a muddle; so maybe hold out for Marvel's try.